Monday, February 13, 2017

"... for in His strength I can do all things..."

How are you all!

I'm doing just great!! This week was truly a great one! I'm really loving my time here, it's going so fast! This week was a week of testimony building experiences, and full of a ton of patience testers. haha!!

You asked a few questions .... My pensionista's name is Jessica. She is an amazing cook! Her husband is the bishop of our ward, and we live with them. They are such great people. I really love them!

To start off with the week, we headed off to Huancayo on Monday for Zone Leader Training Conference. We were supposed to leave early, but we didn't end up leaving until like 3:00 because we got stuck in Huanuco doing a ton of little random things. We also ended up waiting for the mini van that was going to drive us to Huancayo, to come and pick us up. So the mini van got there and it literally was like 3:30 (we'd waited a long time!) and we had to go so fast! Huancayo is a 6 hour drive from Huanuco, if you go really fast. We were planning on getting to Huancayo at like 8:30 p,m. or 9:00, but, the mini van was driving sooooooooooooooo slow. Really, he drove slower than my dad drives (Barry, haha), and so we were so late. At 8:30 p.m. we were only in Oroya, and it is 2 hours from Oroya to Huancayo, so we ditched the mini van, and the driver, and just got in a taxi and practically flew to Huancayo in the rain. And... the roads are not like they are in the good old USA. They are at best like a mountain road! haha It was a great learning experience though, I learned a ton of patience!! As you all know, I don't like to be late! We got there at 10:30 at night, with permision of President, of course. But when we got there we were welcomed with a big bag of Burger King!!! Greatest thing ever!!! It was super awesome! The training was on "the conversion, and becoming totally converted". It really was so good, and it gave me a great desire to really become fully converted myself in my testimony and in the gospel. I want to be fully converted to this gospel forever. I know that if I am fully converted when I return home that I will be able to withstand the temptations of the world. I want this in my life. I know that I will always be happy if I make this a part of my life! I have a stronger testimony of this now, and I will strive to always be fully converted to this gospel! I love it! We will be heading back to Huancayo this week, on Thursday, to meet with Elder Hugo Montoya, Second Counselor in the South America Northwest Area Presidency. I'm really excited for this and excited to learn from him!

In the old van on the ride to Huancayo

Elder Moss, Elder Christensen, Elder Walker

This group all entered the mission together

Elder Moss, Elder Ramirez and Elder Christensen

A small village on the way to Huancayo called Ninacaca, just outside

of Carhuamayo, Luke's first area in the mission.

Consejo de Lideres

Leaders of the Peru Huancayo Mission

The rest of the week was a pretty normal week. We are just trying to work so hard even though it seems nothing is on our side, and things aren't happening like we'd like them to. We will not give up though! We literally walk all day and all night just trying to find people that want to listen to us. This work is hard, but it is also so rewarding. Our legs are so tired and when we get home at night we just fall into bed and die until morning.

We did have a super cool experience that happened this week. We have been praying so hard to be able to find new people that will listen to us and have the desire to repent. But, we haven't found anyone lately, and some of the ones we have found, lose interest quickly. So on Sunday we were passing by the church and we saw some missionaries at the church waiting for a referral that they had just received. We went over to talk to them and see what they were doing and they told us that the referral didn't actually live in their area, but she lived in our area! So we waited for her to come, and we got talking to her. Her name is Juli. She has been attending church for the past 2 to 3 months in another ward. She had been receiving the lessons from the missionaries and SHE WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED!!!! SO SHE HAS A BAPTISMAL DATE FOR THE 25TH OF MARCH!!!! We are so stoked! So we are planning to have the first baptism in the ward in 9 months haha!! We also have a few other people that we've started teaching that are planning on getting baptized on the 12th of April.

So many times this week I have been reminded of Kolt's favorite scripture, Alma 26:12, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." I know he lives, and loves us, and he's there to give us strength, if we ask. I know that with Him I can do all things. Through obedience we are blessed.